Feeding device



All@ 2, 1932- l.. lssELHARDT 1,869,750

FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 17, 1950 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 Unire TATES LOUIS L. ISSELHARDT, OF 'MARIONQ INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TOA SLU'EIERIOR PAPER PROD- Uofrs oo., or MARION, INDIANA, AA CORPORATION or INDIANA FEEDING Application filed April 17,

The invention relates generally to feeding` devices and more particularly to a device for feeding blanks of paper, metal, or thelike to a machine performing operations upon them. The general Object of the invention, is to provide a novel feeding device which will insure the feeding of but on-e or any predetermined number of blanks at a time. f

Another object is to providesuch a device Figure 1 is a view taken in a plane indi` f cated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and embodying the features of the invention. f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken onthe .line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View taken on' the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.v

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and kalternative constructions, I have shown in ther drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferredembodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

A device embodying the features lof the invention is adapted to feed blanks as for paper plates or the like to a machine such-,asl a press for dishing the blank. The device comprises generally a pair of feed rolls, a

rack for holding a stack of blanks, andmeans` for pushing one or any predetermined num-- ber of blanks at a time into said rolls to pass to the machine, and for keeping the blanks in the stack from sticking tozeach other and in an orderly condition.

As shown in the drawing, the present em-A DEVICE 1930. semi No. 444,943.

bodiment of the invention comprises a pair;

10 and 11, is provided :for holding astack of blanks A so thatthe plane of each'blank slopes downwardly toward the machine. The rack comprises a plurality of guide membersv 13, 14E and 15 and a relatively nar# row bed 16. The guide members are arrangedV tol extend up the sidesV of the stack andare made of flat Lstrips of metal, the

` member 13 extending up the forward side of the stack at an langle to the vertical so that the front vedge of each blank rests against it. To support the member 13,' a bar 17 extends between the frame members 10 and 11 vand is attached` thereto and to the guide member 13." The bed 16 is supported Y by a pair of brackets 18vwhich are respectively attached to the frame members 10 and 11, and the guide members 1li and 15 are attach-ed to the bed 16 'and are adjustable for different sizes of blanks.' y

Topermit the removal of blanks from the rack, Aone'or any predetermined number ata time, the bed`16 has a finger 19 at its forward end which is spaced from thelower end of the forward guidel member 13 an amount-sufricient to permit but one or the predetermined number of blanks to pass therebetween at a time. The linger19 is pivote'd to the bed 16 by means of a scre'w20, and may be adjusted relative to the guide'member 13 and locked in its adjusted position by a screw 21, so that blanks of different thicknesses may be accommodated. g

To carry blanks from the rack into the machine, a pair of rolls'22 and 23 are mounted adjacent -theopening between the finger 19 and the guide member '13. *The lower roll 22 is keyed to a shaft 24 which is supported in bearings formed on the frame members 10 and'11, while the upper roll 23 is held in yielding vengagement with the lower roll 22 by a shaftY 25 which is supported in bearings slidably mounted in the frame members 10 and 11 and pressed downwardly by springs 26. The rolls 22 and 23 are both grooved (see Fig. 8) and the ends of the linger 19 and the lguide member 13 are narrowed to lit within the grooves in the respective rolls so that the opening through which blanks leave the hopper is closely adjacent torthe'- line of contact between the two rolls.

If a warped blank gets into the rack, it is prevented from clogging the device or from being bent out ofshapev or'torn.' Thebed 16 being narrow permits a blank to lie closely thereon even though it be warped. To permit such a blank to passeasily, to -the rolls, the upper edge of the finger 19 and the lower end of th-e guide -member 13 are-reversely curved, as is clearly shown inFig.. 3', so :that the portion of-theI edge ofthehlank which lieson the bed 16 is-'alined withl the `center-` offthe curved portionsoff'the iingerr19 and' guide member 18 and will pass `therebetween without catching 'against `the member 1?).

As mentioned above, the invention includes means for pushing.. one or any predetermined. number of blanks at'atime Iinto thezfc'edaolls and for keeping tliefstackin an orderly condition. In ther present instance, ,this `meanscomprises apushe-r barVSO whichis mounted` for vreciprocationin a slotin thezbed1-and extends underthe stacktof'blanks; The front-1 end of the bar 30 is curved idownwardly awayfrom the stackias at 81 so as to slide easilyl under the stack, and is bifurcatedto extend on bothisides-oftheffinger'land to be slidfablysupported onthe screw 20 :which pivot;u ally supports the linger'19:

In the rear end of thev framefmember'11', a shaft 32'is rotatably journaled which carries a crankdisk 33ml its end. The disk 33 has a crank pin 84; to l:which therear end of'the pusher bar 30 isv rotatablyat-. tached. Thus, as thexcrank rotates, the-rear end of the pusher barfSO fis'raised-duringfhe firstrpart: of the forwardamovement of the bar and .thenis lowered, andithefront end: 31 ofthe bar Yslides on .the -vscrew.20..

To catch the rear. edgeV of1thebottom/blank; in the stack, a projecting-member is-pro vided on the upper surface ofthe -pusherfbar 30, which member, in the" present` instance,

is a screw 35 threadedinto thebar'andlockedI in an adjusted position -by.a nut.. For blanks e of diiferentithicknesses' or forv different pire,-

determined numbers of "blanks, they height which the screw 35 projects above the sur- J face of the bar may be adjusted so lthat the screw 35 will notfproject'above said surface more than the thickness of-one orany pref determined number ofblanks.

To drive the device, a-Ydrive sha-ft 4() is.` j ournaled in the framemembers 10 and 11; Outside of the frame.l member 10, a .clutclr41toperated by a hand lever 42ismounted forY connecting the shaft 40 withafsource of poweri in"the"rack'andthe clutch 41 isthrown'in'to drive the various shafts, the crank disk 33 rotatingin the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2'. Assume that the pusher bar 30 is attheforward endaofits stroke. The crank then causes the bar to be lowered and moved rearwardly. Before the bar has completed itsrearw'ard motion it starts-to move up,- so

that by the time `its startete-,move forward again, itfhaslbeen raisedzenough to bringthe bar in contact' with the bottomblankiint the stackfDuring its forward motion, the` screw=35catches-:the rear edge lofthe bottom blank and pushesit. forward? between the finger 19 andith'e forwardguideA member 13 and. into the :rolls f 22 i and 23 byx which 1 it! is fed' to theAv machine.

During -lth'e'iirstfpart ofthe forward'inotion of the bar 30, the crank continues to raise the rearf endofthe 'barso :thatthe stack `isf-raised within the rac-hand pushed against 'the forward guider member 131' to keep Ithe stackin an forderly condition; During the latter part ofl the forward motion, the bar '1s loweredlso that' the stickwill fafll back lonto' the lbed i151 By this alternate raising and'lettin'g the stack fall, the lindividual blanksv infv the ystack are jarred land loosened so' that they. will not ad here to eachother. From the above. descrip'- tion it4 isxobviousthat Ii have provided: a novel feeding device which will insurei the feeding'of but' oney or. anyy predetermined number of blanks at a timefandinwhich the 1 stack. of'blan'k-s is kepti in au neat and orderly` condition. thedeviee willzhandle warped blzm'ks'with-y out 'dangerf ofv being clogged.

Il claim afs-my invention-.z

1: AG device fori feedinig1b'lanks lfor paper plates'or the'like comprising, in combination, apa-irf'of't feed rolls, arackr forhoilding a stackv ofi blank-s1 and comprising Aa plurality of':" ,u1icl i rmembers and a-bed sloping ldownwardly toward said rolls, said bed being relativelynarrow to permitwarp'ed blanks to liecloselythereon, onel ofsaid' gui de members having vits :loweri end adjacent'said'rolls, the for-ward! end of.l said bed and 'the lowerfend of the guide memberf adjacent said 'rolls being' reverselyy curvedto permit' a warpedv blank to pass easily therebetween, and a pusher: bar movably mounted centrally of saidbed and having a longitudinal movementin' the'plane ofsaid bed to move the I bottom blank or predeterminedinu-mber of" '65 such asa sprocket43. On thevoppcsiteend blanks ofthe stackinto said-'rolls and fanupt isalso' `apparent that' QDI ward movement to raise the blanks in the stack and move them against the guide member adjacent the rolls to keep the stack in an orderly condition. j

2. A device for feeding blanks for paper plates or the like comprising, in combination, a pair of relatively narrow feed rolls Y having grooves in their peripheries, a rack for holding a stack of blanks and comprising a plurality of guide members and a bed which is relatively narrow to permit warped blanks to lie closely thereon and having its forward end extending into the groove in the lower roll, one of said guide -members having` its lower end extending into the groove in the upper roll to form an open-ing through which the bottom blank or predetermined number of blanks of the stack may pass to the feed rolls, the adjacent ends beingadf justable relatively to each other to provide for blanks of different thicknesses and being reversely curved to permit a warped blank to pass easily therebetween, and a pusher bar niova-bly mounted centrally of said bed and 11 adapted to slide the bottom blank through said opening.

3. A device for feeding blanks for paper plates or the like comprising, in combination, a pair of feed rolls, a rack for holding a stack of blanks and including a bed sloping downwardly toward said rolls and having a slot therein, and means for pushing the bottom blank or predetermined number of blanks of the stack into the feed rolls, said means comprising a bar having its forward end slidably supported in said slot, and a crank attached to the rear end of said bar for moving it forwardly to push the bottom blank into the rolls and for moving it upwardly to lift the stack and loosen the blanks to prevent them from adhering to each other.

4. A device for feeding blanks for paper plates or the like comprising, in combination, a pair of feed rolls, a. rack for holding a stack of blanks and including a bed sloping downwardly toward said rolls and having a slot therein, and means Yfor pushing the bottom blank or predetermined number of blanks of the stack into said rolls, said means comprising a bar slidably supported at its forward end in said slot and having an adjustaing a stack of blanks piled one on top of the other in face to face relation, said rack comprising a relatively narrow bed extending toward said rolls with its forward end eX- tending into the groove in the bottom roll, and a substantially vertical guide member positioned at the front of the stack with its lower end eXtending into the groove in the upper roll, the forward end of said bed and the lower end of said guide member being spaced apart to form an opening through which the blanks may pass one at a time, and means for sliding the bottom blank along said bed and through said opening to said rolls.

6. A device for feeding blanks for paper plates or the like comprising, in combination, a rack for holding a stack of blanks piled oneon top of the other in face to face relation and comprising relatively narrow bottom and forward supports lying in a single vertical plane extending in the direction of feed of the blanks and together forming an opening through which the bottom blank may pass, a pair of relatively narrow feed rolls mounted in said plane adjacent said opening, and means for sliding the bottom blank through said opening to said rolls.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afiXed my signature.

LOUIS L. ISSELHARDT.

ble member projecting from its upper surface Y to catch the rear edge of said bottom blank or blanks, said adjustable member comprising a screw threaded and locked'to said bar,

and a crank attached to the rear end of said bar and causing said bar to have an upward motion to lift the stack during the forward motion of said bar in pushing said bottom blank into said rolls. Y

5. A device for feeding blanks for paper plates or the like comprising, in combination, a pair of relatively narrow feed rolls mounted with their axes horizontal and each having a groove in its periphery, a rack for holdizo 

